Message from Terry

Late in her life, American poet and writer May Sarton was questioned about what she wanted to be when she “grew up.” She replied: to be human.

I like it.

To be human is about regaining what has been lost in the shuffle when life has been relegated to keeping score and making waves. To be human is about honoring and cultivating the good life.

“The things that matter in a bad life, we know, are: gaining power over others, accumulating as much stuff as you can, getting revenge on your enemies (who are everywhere), and drugging yourself one way or another to forget the pain of not quite being human.”

Gene Logsdon

To be human is…
…to be present,
…to pay attention to the life you have right now,
…to experience the sacred, the wonder and the delight within this present moment.

I have lived hurried and disconnected. Sometimes, I still do. Yet now, I’ve learned that what I want is to do less and live more.

To simplify. To live simply. To simply live.

I used to ask of myself and others: what have you accomplished? Where are your credentials? What does your job and your bank account say about who you are?

Now, my questions are different:

Are there butterflies in your garden?
What are the color of loved ones’ eyes, when they are looking at you with hope?
And when was the last time your house smelled of paper-white narcissus?
Do sunsets make you smile?
When was the last time you stood in stocking feet just to stare at the rising moon?
Have you ever seen a sunflower bloom?
Does the laughter of children do your heart good?
At what angle does the sun enter your house?

Do I understand that life is full of complications, obligations and distractions? Yes. I do. I understand life with a teenage son. I run three businesses. So, yes, I know a bit about down-to-earth realities.

But this, too, is reality:

I love to watch the hummingbirds dance.
I love that my son likes to put on his dancing shoes.
I love to join him when we play old-time rock and roll.
I love to stretch out on a garden bench on a warm summer day.
I love a hot shower and drying with an expensive, oversized cotton towel.
I love books, delight in poetry, and find sustenance in writing.
I treasure the certainty that grace gives us all many second chances.
I value the times I can simplify life by letting go of my need to validate my humanity through productivity.
And I love to lose track of time in a garden.

I also know that sharing this with you–offering my practices for pausing, resources for doing less and living more, reflections in my blog Sabbath Moment—feeds me.

So I invite you, too, to join us—and together we’ll share, remind, and support each other, To Rest. To Renew. To Live.

Author, humorist, inspirational speaker, dad, ordained minister, golf addict, and smitten by French wine. He lives on Vashon Island, near Seattle. His work has been featured on The Hallmark Channel, CNN, PBS, and NPR. He divides his time between designing sanctuary gardens and ... Read more.

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